Monday, September 9, 2013

Yumi is a member of Oishii Project who has taken her
love of fashion and singing into the group to become one of its strongest
members. At 3’11” Yumi packs a powerhouse of time management into her day
between performing, learning new dance routines, and being the group’s event
coordinator, proving that it really is the little things that matter. Aside
from being a part of Oishii Project, she is also a singer/songwriter for a
second band called Psycho Bando all while being a champion gamer at Animal Crossing. Yumi was kind enough to
talk to This Peculiar Life NYC about all that it entails to being an
online singer.

This Peculiar Life NYC: Tell me how you found out about
Oishii Project and what made you want to be a part of this group?

Yumi: I’ve been active with looking for auditions
involving both acting and singing, and I happened to stumble on Oishii Project
from a Google search of auditions. Curious, I checked it out and I’ve always
been into Japanese music, culture, and fashion so I decided to give it a go!

TPL NYC: On some of the videos, the girls refer to their time
in the group as "generations". How long is a generation in Oishii
terms, and what generation are you?

Yumi: The term generations is used to indicate seniority
in the group. For example, if you were among the first group of girls to get
accepted into Ichigo (strawberry), Kiwi, or Lychee, you would be considered a first
generation member. [We also have Mini Cherries who are the girls in training.] Since Micchi and I are among the second group of girls to
join Ichigo, we are considered second gen. members.

TPL NYC: Along the same lines, I hear that the girls are
split into groups. What group are you in? Did you get to pick, or did you get
assigned?

Yumi: I’m in the
Oishii! Ichigo group. We didn’t get to pick our groups. Instead, we were
assigned to our groups.

TPL NYC: Do you ever get shuffled around to different groups?

Yumi: Each group was formed to bring out the strengths in each group of girls.
Ichigo is both sweet and sour, so musically, our group personifies those
certain characteristics. Kiwi is tart… ish. Hahaha! I love kiwis, they’re
delicious. Anywho, the music for the Kiwi group is a little more edgy. Lychee is
sweet, therefore the Lychee group has music that’s more… well in my words
‘cutie pop’! I make up my own genres of music too, can’t you tell, ha, ha, ha!

TPL NYC: What is your favorite part of performing with the
group and what is the hardest?

Yumi: Oh man, it’s so hard to say what my favorite part
is when it comes to performing with them. As a part of the U.S. branch, we
haven’t been given the opportunity to make our debut yet. The U.K. branch,
however, has had many performance opportunities! Lucky girls!

It is much easier for the UK girls,
though. Here in the U.S.
we’re so spread out, so coming together for a performance can be costly. Come
back to me again next year, and I promise I’ll have something to say about in
terms of performance!

TPL NYC: I know there are auditions; could you tell me what
the audition process is like to become a part of the group? In the same vein,
what was your audition and how did you put it together?

Yumi: I have a terrible memory, but if I remember
correctly, we were told to put together a video that contains two minutes of
introduction, two minutes of singing one song in Japanese, two minutes of
singing another song, and finally, two minutes of dancing. I had such a hard
time with my audition because I talked a LOT, and I couldn’t just say something
in two minutes without having to cut an extra four or five minutes of talking.
Everything took so much time for me. I wasn’t used to filming myself, so I had
to film everything separately and then put it all together at the end.

TPL NYC: What are rehearsals like? Do you ever choreography
you own routines? If not, how long does it take you to learn one?

Yumi: Rehearsals are normally by myself. For learning
music, it really depends on how much time I have for learning a song.
Generally, I’ll listen, sing-along several times, and work on areas that have a
harder time memorizing. Dancing is a different story. I’ll admit, when it comes
to dancing, I have two left flippers, haha! If I have to memorize a dance, I’ll
set up an hour or two during the day where I’ll practice my dancing. It also
helps to be in a group full of other girls that dance! So if I ever have any
questions, I can always run to one of my girls to help me out.

TPL NYC: What do you feel it is about yourself that makes you
stick out from the other girls?

Yumi: I’m fun-sized!

TPL NYC: You want to be a singer/songwriter. Who are some of
your influences in style and music that made you want to pursue this?

Yumi: It really is different for everyone. What works
best for me might not exactly be what works best for someone else. I personally
take a little longer to write music than I would like to, but it’s something
I’m continually working on. Hopefully I’ll get much better at it!

TPL NYC: Of the original songs that you have written, which
one do you enjoy performing the most?

Yumi: My performances are usually in front of an American
demographic, so I usually perform “Dear Cupid”.

TPL NYC: You have so many different looks. Just about every
Vlog you do, you look different. Is it hard for people to recognize you with so
many different looks?

Yumi: I LOVE exploring with fashion and playing around
with the different sub-styles of *gyaru. I haven’t thought too much about
whether or not people would recognize me online. It might be a little more
difficult to pick me out online, but offline I’ll probably be the first person
you notice.

*Gyaru are various fashion styles dependant on
different subcategories, but generally describes glamorizing tanned skin,
blonde hair and old Hollywood glamour.

TPL NYC: Either way, how do you approach creating a new look?
What do you use as inspiration? And how long does it take to make yourself look
like that?

Yumi: I’m a big fan of the Japanese gyaru style. It’s
something that I’ve been immersed in for about five years now, so that’s where
I take my main inspiration from. When I’m feeling playful though, I’ll look at
some favorite artists, music videos, or even fashion brands to mix and match.
For a video, I usually have an outfit put together in 10-15 minutes. It’s fun!
However, the downside to all of this is that my room simultaneously gets turned
upside down.

Yumi in cosplay

TPL NYC: What is it about the J-Pop/ Cosplay look that appeals to you?

Yumi: I feel like the Japanese street styles I love look very
unique, glamorous, playful, and cute! Gyaru itself has many substyles of its
own! All of it is art! There are so many different styles, but at the end of
the day, it all boils down to your own individual look as a result of how you
feel you can best express yourself.

TPL NYC: Are you an anime/ manga fan, does that inspire your
look? If so, do you ever cosplay as a certain character?

Yumi: I was much more into anime/ mange when I was in
middle school and high school. I think I love my games a little more.

TPL NYC: What anime and manga do you enjoy watching and
reading, and what got you into it?

Yumi: The last manga I was reading was Barajou no Kiss, I
love the Aya Shouto’s art! When it comes to anime, I love mysteries and ghost
stories, so shows like Umineko no Naku Koro Ni, Ghost Hunt, and Another are
right up my alley.

TPL NYC: Tell me about the new Oishii Boot Camp? Why was that created, and what
does the boot camp entail? I've heard on some of the vlogs that they have to
turn things in. What do they have to turn in and what happens if they don't?

Yumi: The Oishii Bootcamp was done to encourage audience
interaction, hone our skills, and to give fans and viewers a chance to get to
know us. Most of the challenges were vlogs. The most recent one, however, was
more of a musical challenge. Next to everything else that the public sees,
behind the scenes, we also had various miscellaneous assignments we were
required to turn in for the bootcamps. If any group fails to have all their
individuals turn their assignments in on time, the entire group will be subject
to punishment!

TPL NYC: Do you see Oishii Project
as a stepping stone into more mainstream scene or do you like being a part of
this niche?

Yumi: I hate looking at things as “stepping stones”. When
I choose to become a part of something, I will try to give it my all. I don’t
exactly feel like I completely fit in to the idol niche. However, I feel as if
Oishii! Project does not completely conform to the idol stereotypes either.

﻿

Yumi with fellow Oishii member Jenny.

TPL NYC: One of your Vlogs mentions
that you are tiny in stature. You also have a very cute look, do you feel that
this makes you more marketable in something like Oishii Project?

Yumi: I am 3’ 11” totally fun-sized and fun-loving.
Oishii! Project has a very cute vibe, so it never hurts to add to it.

TPL NYC: Aside from singing and songwriting, do you enjoy any other endeavors or
hobbies?

Yumi: Aside from singing and songwriting, I also love
fashion, nail art, working out, playing video games (holler at you Animal
Crossing players!), and reading!

TPL NYC: How did you come up with
your name Yumiko?

Yumi: The Kanji for Yumiko is 由美子, and it means Reason
Beauty Child. It sounds fierce, strong – maybe a little bit diva. The name
itself, however, sounds playful and cute.

TPL NYC: If you weren’t in Oishii
Project, what do you think you would be doing?

Yumi: Outside of Oishii! Project, I’m involved in another
band called Psycho Bando. So I would probably just have more time working on
Psycho Bando as well as some of my other original pieces.

TPL NYC:With a busy schedule, what is a typical day
like for you?

Yumi: It depends on what day of the week it is. Sometimes
I have band practice with Psycho Bando in the evening, and I usually have work
three to five days a week. Recently I was also accepted as a staff member for
Oishii! Project, and I am now in charge of U.S. booking and event coordinating,
so Sundays I’ll have a morning staff meeting to attend to for Oishii! Project
as well. In between all that time, I’ll have housework that I take care of,
music recordings, and practice. When I can squeeze some more time in, I’ll be
scoping the net for auditions.

TPL NYC: What does your family think
of you being a part of Oishii Project?

Yumi: My family is very supportive! It’s a great
experience to be part of a net idol group.

TPL NYC: Do you feel like you have
had to sacrifice a lot of your personal life to be a part of Oishii Project?

Yumi: If you want to succeed in
anything, sacrifices are inevitable. It’s great time management practice. I’m
lucky that the people I love and care for are very supportive of what I do.

TPL NYC:What are some upcoming events that
Oishii Project has coming up?

Yumi: The Mini Cherries, our trainee group, are having
their graduations soon! Right now they are going through a testing period. Some
will be going into our pre-existing groups, and I have heard talk of perhaps a
new mini group or two. We are also planning a U.S. Oishii! Project debut, so
keep a look out for that in the next coming months!